Dathan Trevino HARLINGEN-Starting over nine years ago and created by Sue DeBrook, Harlingen Art Night is held every last Friday of the month. The event held in Jackson Street Harlingen holds plenty of vendors, who come to share and sell their art. As well as crochet items, jewelry and custom Croc charms.
Mia Garza, Co-organizer of the event, said the main goal of Art Night is to promote artists who are just starting out, so they can further their careers.
“To help them kind [of] get off the ground,” said Garza. “So many of the artists have started with Harlingen Art Night and then they start getting comfortable and they go to other markets. Yes people, there are things to do in Harlingen, if you want to know, you just have to you know step outside your box a little bit and open your mind, and you’ll find so many different things to do, and Harlingen Art Night is definitely one of those.”
Abel Gonzo, a vendor and artist who had been attending art night for two years, said he has been creating art since 2019, while balancing his day job as a teacher. Gonzo said his biggest inspirations were the different forms of art he saw as a kid.
“There was this CD-ROM I had as a kid, that was, it was like some interactive games and that just really, you know laid everything out for me as far as colors go, and the story style I want to go for when I create my art,” Gonzo said.
This past Art Night Gonzo was selling his prints and stickers, as well a preview of his personal comic book, “Treebot.” A story about the last tree on earth.
Gonzo said art night helped him grow his business by allowing him to make new friends and customers.
“I would say I have people who come regularly and support my art by buying different stickers I make and different prints, and that helps me a lot,” he Gonzo.
The next Art Night will be on Nov. 24 featuring a special Black Friday Art Night, which will include an “experimental expansion,” allowing more space for artists and crafters to sell and showcase their art.
